The surprising tea that made this woman's poo regular

The constipation treatment market is predicted to reach AUD$31.10 billion by 2025, thanks to the huge global demand for laxatives. As with everything, a preventative is always better than a cure, so when you find your thing, it can be life changing.

“I've never been able to stand coffee (I know, it's a very polarizing thing to say), but I still love to have a hot drink in the morning, as a wake-up ritual,” explains Elyse Kaye, a yoga and Pilates instructor and creator of Bloom Bras. “Tea was an obvious choice, and soon enough I was knocking back cups of it all day long,” Kaye told Women's Health.

The only issue? “I was downing black tea, which actually has quite a bit of caffeine. I felt wired all the time, so I decided to switch to green tea to decrease my caffeine consumption.”

Elyse continued on green tea for a while, drinking five to six cups a day, however this was still enough caffeine to leave her feeling jittery.

It was then Elyse was introduced to lemon-ginger tea whilst travelling through Asia, made from hot water, fresh lemon and grated ginger. Kay was told it was thought to both aid in digestion and calm the body in equal measures.

“As soon as I gave the lemon-ginger tea a try—sometimes with fresh ingredients, sometimes with a Twinings Herbal Tea teabag—I was hooked. I usually like to drink it straight (the lemon and ginger are so flavorful), but sometimes I added turmeric for extra spice or honey for some sweetness,” Kaye told the publication.

“Before I started drinking my lemon-ginger tea, I felt bloated a lot of the time, and my bathroom habits were pretty irregular (I felt lucky if I went once a day). But after the tea, my poops became a daily thing, and, honestly, pooping on a regular schedule just makes you feel better. Pooping more frequently also made me feel less bloated: My pants fit a little more comfortably and I didn't feel quite so backed up anymore.”

Water is a natural lubricant that softens stool and promotes evacuation of the bowels, and lemon juice has a high acid content and works on the digestive system to get things moving. Together, these make a powerful antidote for constipation. Ginger also has an active compound called gingerol, which speeds up the passage of food and stool through the intestines.

“I drink so much of the stuff that fresh ginger and lemon (and tea bags) are the only three ingredients I always have in my house. When I feel like an extra zing, I brew the tea along with fresh lemon and ginger.”

Elyse Kaye teaches yoga and Pilates, and is the creator of Bloom Bras, a high-tech sports bra for women, sizes 28D to 50K.